Maxus

Sounding rocket. Country: Germany. Status: Active.

The MAXUS micrograviy program was a collaboration between Sweden and Germany. The single-stage vehicle developed for the program used a Castor 4B motor, the largest fired from Western Europe.

This allowed the experiments lofted to experience 12 minutes and 40 seconds of microgravity. The recoverable and reusable 720 kg payload module could accomdoate six to eight separate experiments.

Manufacturer: SSC, MBB, ERNO. Launches: 8. Failures: 1. Success Rate: 87.50%. First Launch Date: 1991-05-08. Last Launch Date: 2006-05-02. Launch data is: continuing. Payload: 720 kg (1,580 lb). Apogee: 850 km (520 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 450.000 kN (101,160 lbf). Total Mass: 12,300 kg (27,100 lb). Core Diameter: 1.02 m (3.34 ft). Total Length: 15.50 m (50.80 ft).

• Stage1: 1 x Castor 4B. Gross Mass: 11,400 kg (25,100 lb). Empty Mass: 1,400 kg (3,000 lb). Motor: 1 x Castor 4B. Thrust (vac): 430.610 kN (96,805 lbf). Isp: 281 sec. Burn time: 64 sec. Length: 9.20 m (30.10 ft). Diameter: 1.02 m (3.34 ft). Propellants: Solid.

1991 May 8 - 03:54 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 1 FAILURE: Failed. Microgravity mission Agency: SSC. Apogee: 157 km (97 mi). Microgravity experiments. Recovered, although it reached only a fraction of the planned altitude. The MAXUS sounding rocket program began in 1989 and the first launch took place in 1991.The program was a joint venture between the Swedish Space Corporation and the German space company EADS-ST. The Maxus program was financed by ESA. The scientific objective was to perform experiments during 12-13 minutes of microgravity (10-4 g) using a single stage sounding rocket motor. The motor, a Castor 4B, had a maximum acceleration of 13 g, a top speed of 3500 m/sec and reached an apogee of around 750 km depending on the payload mass.

1992 November 8 - 10:25 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 1B Microgravity mission Agency: SSC/DLR. Apogee: 717 km (445 mi). Microgravity experiments. Relaunch of the Maxu 1 mission.

1995 November 28 - 09:42 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 2 Microgravity mission Agency: SSC/DLR. Apogee: 705 km (438 mi).

1998 November 24 - 09:53 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 3 Biological/Physics mission Agency: SSC/ESA. Apogee: 713 km (443 mi).

2001 April 29 - 11:28 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 4 Microgravity mission Agency: SSC/ESA. Apogee: 705 km (438 mi).

2003 April 1 - 06:00 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 5 Maxus 5 Microgravity mission Agency: SSC/ESA. Apogee: 701 km (435 mi). Suborbital microgravity payload. Launch delayed from 31 March.

2004 November 22 - 08:35 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 6 Microgravity mission Agency: SSC/ESA. Apogee: 706 km (438 mi).

2006 May 2 - 06:16 GMT - Kiruna -. Maxus MAXUS 7 Maxus 7 Agency: SSC/ESA. Apogee: 702 km (436 mi). Suborbital microgravity mission. Kaiser-Threde developed a new payload service system for MAXUS 7, providing 2 independent TV-links with 2 high power HF transmitters and GPS. The recovery system was a BAL ORSA system, modified by Kaiser-Threde, including parachute from DLR.